Rating:  -
Book 1 of the Mallorean
The Mallorean is the second 5 book series set in this world. The first was the Belgariad, which introduced us to Garion, Belgarath, Polgara, and the world of Kings, Gods and Men. Guardians of the West picks up several years after the end of Enchanter's End Game. Garion, the young farmboy from Sendaria is now King Belgarion of Riva. He is trying to rule his island nation wisely. One day he is woken during the night by the voice of the Prophecy. He is told to "Beware Zandramas!" Nobody knows who or what this Zandramas is, only that it is dangerous. Garion had thought that his adventures had come to an end when he slew the evil god Torak. The more research Garion and his family does into this Zandramas, the more it appears that it is all beginning again.
As the book progresses there are attempts on the lives of his wife and others in the Rivan government. It is clear that there is a larger conspiracy which initially implicates friends and allies of Garion, but the true evil behind this has not come out into the open. This first book of the series is rather slow moving, which is fine for a fan of the series, but might be somewhat off-putting for those who are reading this book for the first time. Eddings spends a lot of time introducing what will be the overall conflict of this series.
Reading David Eddings was what first got me interested in the fantasy genre. The Mallorean does not have the same feel of the Belgariad, the characters have grown up a bit more, but it is an enjoyable trip through a familiar world. The fantasy of David Eddings is a bit simplistic, but that is also part of the joy of reading this author. It is a pleasure to read...just make sure that you've read the Belgariad first, though.
Rating:  -
After reading the magnificent Belgariad series I was so happy to see that Eddings would give us more on Belgarion and the rest of the crew. Eddings has this ability to make us care about each and everyone one of the characters. So while some people thought this book was boring and slow, I loved it because it dealt with the characters and how they adjusted to everyday life. I loved how each of the main characters got their own section. Slowly Eddings introduces the main plot for the series and then we're off and running. I was a little disappointed that our favorite characters like Hettar, Barak, and Mandorallen wouldn't be coming along, but luckily he was able to introduce new and interesting characters. A lot of bad reviews of this book and series... I don't care... I love this book, series and author. I've read the Belgariad and Mallorean so many times I honestly cannot give an accurate count!! So read the Belgariad, then the Mallorean... you won't be disappointed.
Rating:  -
This is the first book in a five book series. After reading and thoroughly enjoying the Belgariad, I patiently waited for YEARS while Eddings wrote all five books to the Malloreon. Finally, though, the fifth book was released and I started reading. What a let down! Why was it a let down? I'll tell you...
Technically, you could call what I'm about to write a spoiler. However, this bit is discussed through out the series so I don't really think I'm giving much away. Don't start reading this book unless you want to read through five books only to have the entire adventure decided by someone who, in effect, says, "The guys on the left - they win!" Through out the series, I kept figuring that there would be more to the "final confrontation" than that. I was sure that something big would happen, something that would "sway" the "choice" of the chooser (a blind woman, for what it's worth). It didn't happen. I mean really, why bother with a quest when all you need to do is flip a coin to begin with? Imagine if The Lord of the Rings ended with Sauron meeting Frodo on Mount Doom so Gollum could choose which one of the two would get the ring.
Don't get me wrong, the series is well written and not a bad read. But the final payoff just isn't there. Try just about any other series from Eddings as they're all good, but this one can be skipped.
Rating:  -
This book had a lot of good reviews, so I was suprised that I couldn't get past about page 30. I tried to read the other series with the same characters, and couldn't get into it either. The characters are utterly stereotypical and forgetable, and I didn't care what happened to any of them. I have only not finished about 5 books ever (and I read at least one thick fantasy or sci-fi book a week), and this author scored 2 out of the 5. Skip this one.
Rating:  -
David Eddings must have had the urge for a new car, because he decided to write an uninspired 5-book sequel to the Belgarion. This first book shows promise, as it reveals what has happened a few years down the line since the end of Belgarion series. It was interesting to see how the character's grew and what each one has accomplished.
One of my major complaints about the Belgarion series was that plot was only worth 2 to 3 books, and was stretched to 5 books. This series is only worth about half a book, but it's stretched out to 5 agonizingly long and boring books.
This book is probably the best of the bunch, not because it's really better, but because you haven't got sick of the series yet.
In this book, Garion is a King, but his son is kidnapped by a some mysterious person leading them to another prophecy that slowly becomes unraveled. He meets up and starts a journey with many of the same characters in order to find his son and figure out the prophecy.
As usual, Eddings has a good writing style. Unfortunately, the dialogue is predictable and stale, and no real new characters are introduced.
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